Agnes Ngetich breaks women-only world 10km record

Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich broke the women-only world 10km record at the Trunsylvania 10km, clocking 29:24 at the World Athletics Elite Label road race held on Sunday 10 September 2023 as part of the Brasov Running Festival in Romania.

In an impressive solo running display, the 22-year-old showed her intent from the start and covered the first 5km in 14:25 – four seconds faster than the women-only world record for that distance.

She had a lead of 10 seconds ahead of her compatriot Catherine Reline at that point.

Racing on the loop course, Ngetich went on to pass 6.5km in 18:54 and 8.5km in 24:56 before crossing the finish line in 29:24 to record the fastest ever 10km in a women-only race, improving on the 30:01 set by the late Agnes Tirop in Herzogenaurach in 2021.

As well as being the fastest women-only 10km, Ngetich’s time is the third-quickest in history, behind only the 29:14 run by Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw in a mixed race in Castellon last year and the 29:19 Yehualaw clocked in Valencia earlier this year.

Reline held on to finish second in 30:14, while Uganda’s Joy Cheptoyek placed third in 30:34.

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Diana Cherotich, Viola Chepngeno, and Faith Chepkoech finished fourth, fifth, and sixth in that order, with Christine Njoki coming home seventh.

The record is subject to the usual ratification procedure by the global body, World Athletics

The men's race was won by Weldon Langat, who completed a Kenyan double in 27:05.